“If the only tool you have is a hammer, all your problems start to look like nails—my goal is to help conservation teams expand their toolbox and find the right tool for the job.”

Andrew Lemieux

I am a Program Manager for LEAD Conservation. In this role I oversee LEAD’s monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) efforts, develop content for our analytic courses, oversee special projects, and help with fundraising efforts. I also get involved with analytic training where needed, and mentor LEAD instructors who offer courses on problem solving and geographic information systems (GIS).

Developing instructors and course materials is my favourite part of being a Program Manager at LEAD. As a firm believer in the power of data to improve wildlife protection operations, I take great pride in developing courses that enable frontline teams to think differently about threat reduction. I also enjoy shaping the next generation of analytic instructors as this is something I could not have dreamed of before joining LEAD. For years there were only a handful of us around the world teaching these topics so when I see new instructors start offering courses it makes me proud. Finally, I really enjoy overseeing LEAD’s MEL program as this ensures we are a learning organisation that continually reflects on the impact of our work. This way we ‘practice what we preach’ and show partner organisations how valuable it is to build impact assessments into operations to ensure you achieve your objectives.

All of this helps LEAD achieve our mission as analysis lies at the heart of improving operations. If you do not have the internal capacity to critically reflect on the impact of your operations using data and after-action reviews, it will be very hard to make informed decisions about what works and what fails. Helping partners improve their reactive operations, and eventually conduct proactive and preventive operations, requires embedding analytic capacity and a learning culture across all levels of the organisation. Our training, coaching, and mentorship in analysis helps partners integrate new skills and ways of thinking that enable them to contribute to a body of evidence about what works and fails in wildlife protection.

I am passionate about education. I am the kid that cried when I was too sick to go school because I love learning. I believe continuing education for conservation professionals is a critical element of improving wildlife protection operations and expanding the options we have for saving the world’s ecosystems.

My background is bit different than many people working in conservation. I was originally trained as a biochemist and subsequently went on to get a PhD in criminal justice. After graduate school I joined the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement, where I established the Wildlife Crime Research Cluster which applied criminological theory and research techniques to wildlife protection. During this time, working with government agencies and non-governmental organisations around the world opened my eyes to the possibilities of improving operations with problem solving and analysis. I became passionate about embedding analysts into operations, and creating content that would support and guide organisations that were ready to challenge the status quo. This led to the creation of the Wilderness Problems Resource Portal at the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, which hosts resources such as Problem Analysis for Wildlife Protection in 55 Steps and numerous case studies showing the value of problem solving in conservation.

One of my favourite sayings in life is, ‘When the only tool you have is a hammer, all of your problems start to look like nails.’ My goal as a professional is to help organisations expand their toolbox, find the right tool for the job, and have a positive impact on the communities and ecosystems they serve.

“Analysis lies at the heart of improving operations—without the capacity to reflect critically on impact, it’s nearly impossible to make informed decisions about what works and what fails.”

Ruben de Kock

Current Operations

Kizito Lomongin

Field Operations Trainer

Richard van der Sluijs

Field Operations

Jackson Mutabazi

Field Operations Trainer

Chikumbutso Paul

Field Operations Trainer

Myles Lyne

Operations Support Trainer

Wanjiru Karanja

Team Support and Safeguarding

Dominique Noome

CEO, Strategy and Partnerships

Andrew Lemieux

These partners focus on innovation and long-term growth, helping to evolve the ITR framework and supporting its continuous improvement. They work on creating new tools, training modules, and strategies to enhance ITR effectiveness.

These partners are responsible for the practical application of the ITR framework on the ground. They work directly with local teams to roll out and integrate ITR strategies into daily operations.

These organisations provide expertise, research, and insights that help shape and refine the Integrated Threat Reduction (ITR) framework. They play a critical role in developing strategies and sharing best practices.

Support partners assist with resources, funding, logistics, and additional services that complement the ITR rollout. They help ensure smooth operations and fill gaps that may arise during implementation.